Google Cardboard 2 (Photo : YouTube)
Google's Cardboard app is now available worldwide for iOS and Android platforms, in nearly 40 languages and over 100 countries. Developer documents for the the virtual reality (VR) headset are translated into 10 languages, giving more developers throughout the world the tools to build VR applications. The Cardboard viewer also now supports Google's Street View app.
The search giant's software engineer Brandon Wuest shared in a blog post that there have been over 15 million mobile installations of Cardboard from Google Play.
In addition, Google upgraded its Cardboard software dev kits with Unity performance and drift correction. It is available for Android and Unity.
Wuest wrote that the sensor fusion algorithm that integrates the gyroscope's and accelerometer's signals has been revamped, according to PC Mag. This will benefit phones with low-quality sensors.
Cardboard's software development kit (SDK) for Unity now supports a distortion pass that is Unity-native. This allows Cardboard apps to function with rendering on Android and iOS.
All of the Google Cardboard upgrades will improve users' VR experiences.
Cardboard users can also utilize Google Street view, by using the apps for iOS and Android. Although the images are not three-dimensional quality, they provide 360-degree street images of cities and towns throughout the world, according to Tech Radar.
Do-It-Yourself (DIY) fans can build a Cardboard viewer by downloading an open design. Others can buy a certified viewer including the Zeiss VR One GX and Mattel View-Master.
Google Cardboard is effective in introducing many of its users to VR. It might encourage them to buy pricier VR or augmented reality (AR) gadgets later, including Facebook's Oculus Rift, Microsoft HoloLens, or Samsung Gear VR.
This video is a review of Google Cardboard:
